LAW COURTS

Grey River Argus, Volume 10, 10 July 1917, Page 3

LAW COURTS

MONDAY, JULY gth, 1917. ", (Before Mr. T. Hutchison, S.M.) .'. ~ ' . ASSAULT. ' William Rankin, miner, of Rewan ni, pleaded guilty to having struck 2 Salvation Army officer named John Brown in Boundary Street, Grey mouth, on Saturday last, also a simil. ar plea to a 'second charge of drunk enne'ss. Seior Sergeant Simpson said thai the Army were holding their usua' Saturday night meeting, when th< defendant went into^ the ring in s drunken state. One of the Salvador Army officers put put his 'hand to remove the defendant, who ' thereupon hauled off and struck the officer oe the jaw. It was a brutal assault without- provocation. John Brown said, so far as he was ' concerned, he did not call it an assault, and his principles did not make • hinr.desirous, to say anything againsi the defendant, whom he had freelj forgiven long ago. In reply to his Worship witness said defendant had gone into the ring and, with a sweep of his hand, witness asked the defendant to stand back from the. lamp. Witness was then hit on the chin and knocked over. ■ •The : defendant said he could nol reraember what happened. His Worship, said it was a bad case of assault, and if it had not been foi the pleading of the person assaulter the defendant 'would have beea scnl togpol, in lieu of which a firrijSof .£5 was imposed, in default one -Sonth'« imprisonment. Defendant v&s con . victed . : alid fined 5s on the' second charge. •